The pretext to begin circulating Perry's name for a presidential run will be easily established, and the Tea Partiers that he energized with his irresponsible talk of secession will slowly turn pragmatic and confront the question of who can win in 2012.

Now that the restoration is complete and the film will begin circulating, Ms. Schulberg (who collaborated with the filmmaker and sound designer Josh Waletzky on the project) has come to terms with the suppression of her father's work — whether it was by Hollywood or the gov ernment, which was advancing the Marshall Plan.

The last story she would want circulating is one that makes her sound like Nazi film directrix Leni Riefenstahl brainstorming with Himmler and Goebbels over the specs for the Master Race's next generation.